Mounts for telescope sight



May 31, 1966 w, KlNGsBURY 3,253,361

MOUNTS FOR TELESCOPE SIGHT Filed Aug. 31, 1964 (Ya/A W. finyJu/yINVENTOR.

A TTO/F/VE x United States Patent 3,253,361 MOUNTS FOR TELESCOPE SIGHTClark W.Kingshury, El Paso, Tex., assignor to William R. Weaver, ElPaso, Tex. Filed Aug. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 393,331 8 Claims. (Cl. 4-2-1)This invention relates to improvement in mounts for supporting telescopesights on firearms and more particularly to mounts of ring-likeconstruction.

Among the conventional forms of mount structures employed for supportinga telescope sight mount on firearms are ring-like bracket membersadapted to encircle the sight barrel and provided with various forms ofclamping members for securing the bracket members to the top of thefirearm in parallel relation to the barrel. Many of the moreconventional mounting brackets re quire substantial disassembly in orderto receive the telescope sight because the latter generally carriesenlargements or projections, such as the turret carrying the windage andelevation screws, which prevent the sight barrel from being insertedaxially through the bracket rings.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of animproved mount bracket in which the sight-supporting ring is ofsegmental construction employing novel form of connection means forsecuring the segments together; which may be opened readily to receivethe sight by lateral placement in the brackets.

An important object is the provision of a bracket construction in whichthe leg members for clamping the bracket to the firearm are equippedwith buttress-type teeth or tangs disposed to oppose the dis-placementof the sight longitudinally of the firearm which may tend to occur ininertial response to recoil of the firearm.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention willbecome more readily apparent from the following detailed descriptionwhen read in con junction with the accompanying drawing whichillustrates a useful embodiment in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one side of a sight mount in accordancewith this invention, showing the brackets shown with the segments inclosed position about a telescope sight barrel and mounted on a firearm;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mount bracket with the segmentsopened in the position for receiving a telescope sight;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the separable leg member forming one ofthe mounting legs for clamping the bracket member to a firearm.

In the drawing, the numerals designate generally the ring-like bracketsin accordance with this invention, adapted to encircle and grip thebarrel of a generally conventional telescope sight, shown in brokenlines in FIG. 1 and designated generally by the numeral 11. Each of thebrackets 10 is of generally tubular form and composed of a pair ofcomplementary arcuate segments 12 and 13. Segment 12 will sometimes bereferred to herein as the base segment and segment 13 as the closuresegment. First and second connecting means are provided for securing theends of the segments to each other to close the ring about the sightbarrel in a gripping engagement. The first of these connecting meanscom- 3,253,361 Patented May 31, 1966 prises a T-shaped tongue 14 whichprojects centrally from one end of segment 13 into a correspondingshaped slot 15 in the facing end of segment 12. Tongue 14 and thecooperating slotted end portion of segment 12 are curved atsubstantially the same radius of the ring as a whole so that when tongue14 is received in slot 15 and closed about the barrel of sight 11, theexterior of the connection will be in flush relation with the outerperiphery of the bracket.

The second connection means, which is angularly spaced from the first byapproximately is formed bya pair of mating flanges 16 and 17 whichproject radially outwardly from the adjacent ends of segments 12 and 13,respectively. Flange 16 is provided with one or more internally threadedopenings 18, while flange 1'7 is provided with openings 19 registeringwith openings 18 and adapted to receive screws 26 which pass throughopenings 19 and screw into threaded openings 18 in order to clamp thesegments together about the barrel of sight 11 when the first connectionmeans formed by tongue 14 and slot 15 have been engaged. Flange 16 hasintegrally formed with its outer margin an extension 21 which extendsthroughout the length of the flange and projects inwardly and downwardlyat an angle to the plane of flange 16. The lower or outer margin ofextension 21 is bevelled rearwardly from its upper face so as to providea clamping edge 23, which is generally triangular in cross-section andprojecting inwardly toward the center line of the mount. Flange 16 andextension 21 comprise one mounting leg, designated generally by thenumoral 22, which depends from base segment 12 of the bracket on oneside of the vertical center line of the bracket.

A longitudinal channel 24 is provided in the exterior surface of segment12 and is located in the lower quadrant of the bracket on the oppositeside of the center line from mounting leg 22. Channel 24 is made generally triangular in cross-section. An elongated clamping plate 25 isdisposed to extend generally parallel to mounting leg 22. on theopposite side of the vertical center line of the bracket with respect toleg 22. Plate 25 forms a second depending mounting leg for bracket 10which is separately connected to the bracket. The upper and lowermargins of plate 25 are formed to provide upper and lower inwardlyturned lips 26 and 27, respectively, each of which is generallytriangular in cross-section, upper lip 26 being adapted to enter channel24 and seat therein. A clamping bolt 28 having a head 29 at one endpasses through an opening 25a in plate 25 and extends transversely belowbracket 19 and is provided at its opposite end with a threaded portion30 which is receivable in a threaded socket 31 located in mounting leg22 at the juncture of flange 15 and extension 21. By means of bolt 28,the mounting legs of the bracket may be drawn or urged toward eachother.

The sight mount may be mounted directly on the barrel B of a firearm oron the receiver thereof which is provided with a pair of grooves 33-34disposed longitudinally of the upper portion of the barrel or receiverand spaced apart transversely on opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter line thereof. Grooves 33-34 are made generally triangular incross-section, one of the grooves 33 receiving clamping lip 23 andgroove 34 receiving clamping lip 27.

With mounts of the general form described, which are adapted to besecured in grooves on the upper portion of a firearm, there is sometimesa tendency for the sight somounted to slide forwardly under recoil ofthe firearm by reason of inertia of the sight. To combat this condition,one or both of the lips 23 and 27 on the lower margins of the respectiveclamping legs will be provided with means such as buttress-type teeth ortangs 35, which are formed in the margins of the lips, preferably so asto project slightly upwardly from the surface thereof, as shown insomewhat exaggerated dimensions in FIG. 5. These teeth may be formed bystriking the metal at the margin of lip 27, for example, by means of asuitable tool in a direction to push the metal upwardly and form thetangs or teeth sloping at an angle to the longitudinal margin of thelip. It will be understood that when the bracket is mounted on thefirearm and clamped in grooves 33 or 34, these teeth will be disposed soas to face forwardly of the firearm and will tend to bite into the uppersurface of groove 34 (in the illustrative embodiment) and anchor thebracket and the sight supported thereby against any tendency to slideforwardly in response to recoil of the firearm.

The above-described mount is employed in the following manner Screws 20will be removed allowing closure segment 13 to be lifted away fromsegment 12, tongue 14 being swung out of, or drawn directly from, slot15, as indicated particularly in FIG. 3. The sight will then be laidlaterally in the concave socket or cradle formed by segment 12.Thereafter, segment 13 will be dropped in place about the sight barrel,tongue 14 being inserted in groove 15 and swung down around the sightbarrel placing flange 17 in closely spaced relation to flange 16.Thereupon screws 20 will be inserted through openings 19 into openings18 and screwed down, drawing the segments together tightly about thesight barrel.

It will be understood that two of the bracket members will normally bemounted about the sight barrel, being disposed in longitudinally spacedrelation at any suitable distance and generally on opposite sides of theturret, usually present on the exterior of the sight barrel. The sightcarrying the brackets may now be mounted on the firearm, clamping plate25 being released sufficiently by unscrewing bolt 28 so that lip 23 onleg 22 may be seated in groove 33, after which lips 26 and 27 will beinserted in channel 24 and groove 34, whereupon bolt 29 will betightened to effectively clamp the bracket legs in the grooves. Thisclamping action will urge teeth 35 into the adjacent face of groove 34,thereby eflectively locating and anchoring the sight on the firearm. Itwill be obvious that the bracket may first be clamped to the firearm,and the sight therafter put in place in the brackets.

It will be evident that instead of two separate rings, the mount bracketmay be of the elongate form illustrated in Weaver U.S Patent No.2,803,907, in which base segment 12 may be an elongate continuous membertogether with both the fixed and separable leg members. Two closuresegments 13 may be employed to effect clamping about the sight at spacedpoints along the bracket member. While the angular length of segments 12and 13 may be varied, the generally preferred arrangement is thatillustrated, namely, one in which the segments are approximately 180 inlength. With this arrangement, it will be seeen that the T-shapedtongue-andslot connection will be off-set slightly at the center line ofthe bracket; also, by this arrangement and the flush ar rangement of thetongue-and-slot construction previously described, the periphery of thebracket members about the upper portions of the sight will be free ofany obstructions with might otherwise tend to distract or interfere withsighting by the user, or which might become entangled in the usersclothing or with underbrush when being carried therethrough.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the details of the illustrative embodiment within the scope of theappended claims but without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearmhaving a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposedon an upper portion thereof,

4 wherein said mount comprises a generally tubular sightencirclingbracket member having first and second depending clamping legs forengaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, theimprovement, wherein said bracket member comprises two complementaryarcuate segments, angularly spaced apart first and second connectingmeans separably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, saidfirst connecting means comprising a generally T-shaped tongue projectingfrom the end of one segment and a slot of complementary shape in thefacing end of the other segment adapted to receive said tongue insubstantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracketmember, said second connecting means comprising mating flangesprojecting radially outwardly in parallel relation from the oppositeends of said segments, and screw means extending between said flangesfor drawing the segments together about the telescope sight when saidfirst connection means has been engaged.

2, In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearmhaving a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposedon an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generallytubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second depending clamping legs for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount tosaid firearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises twocomplementary arcuate segments, first and second connecting meansseparably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, said connectingmeans being spaced about apart, said first connecting means beinglocated in the upper portion of said bracket member and comprising agenerally T-shaped tongue projecting from the end of one segment and aslot of complementary shape in the facing end of the other segmentadapted to receive said tongue in substantially flush relation to theouter periphery of said bracket member, said second connecting meanscomprising mating flanges projecting radially outwardly in parallelrelation from the opposite ends of said segments, and a secrew meansextending between said flanges for drawing the segments together aboutthe telescope sight when said first connection means has been engaged.

3. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearmhaving a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposedon an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generallytubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second dependingclamping legs provided with inturned lips on the lower margins thereoffor engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to said firearm, theimprovements wherein said bracket member comprises two complementaryarcuate segments, angularly spaced apart first and second connectingmeans separably connecting the adjacent ends of said segments, saidfirst connecting means comprising a generally T-shaped tongue projectingfrom the end of one segment and a slot of complementary shape in thefacing end of the other segment adapted to receive said tongue insubstantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracketmember, said second connecting means comprising mating flangesprojecting radially outwardly in parallel relation from the oppositeends of said segments, screw means extending between said flanges fordrawing the segments together about the telescope sight when said firstconnection means has been engaged, and a plurality of upwardlyprojecting buttress-type teeth formed in said lip on at least one ofsaid legs.

4. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearmhaving a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposedon an upper portion thereof, wherein said sight mount comprises agenerally cylindrical bracket member adapted to be positionedsubstantially parallel to said firearm, the improvement wherein saidbracket member comprises two complementary arcuate segments adapted togrippingly encircle a telescope sight, means including hingedlyinterlocking tongue-and-slot means separably connecting said segments insubstantially flush relation to the outer periphery of said bracketmember, -a first mounting leg integral with and depending from one ofsaid segments and longitudinally thereof, an inturned lip on the lowermargin of said first mounting leg receivable in the adjacent one of saidgrooves, a longitudinal channel in said one of said segments on theopposite side thereof from said first mounting leg, a second mountingleg extending longitudinally of and separably connected to said one ofsaid segments, said second mounting leg having inturned lips along itsupper and lower margins receivable respectively in said channel and insaid other one of said grooves, and releasable means compressiblyengaging said mounting legs to urge said mounting legs toward each otherto thereby clamp said bracket member to said firearm and whereby whensaid releasable means is released said bracket member may be removed bylateral movement relative to said upper portion of said firearm, saidlip along the lower margin of at least one of said mounting legs havinga series of upwardly projecting buttress-type teeth formed thereinarranged to engage a contiguous wall of the related groove.

5. In a telescope sight mount according to claim 4 wherein saidbuttress-type teeth are in said lip along the lower margin of saidsecond mounting leg.

6. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearmhaving a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposedon an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generallytubular sightencircling bracket member having first and second dependingclamping legs for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to saidfirearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises twocomplementary arcuate segments, angularly spaced-apart first and secondconnecting means separably connecting the adjacent ends of saidsegments, said first connecting means comprising a generally T shapedtongue projecting from the end of one segment and a slot ofcomplementary shape in the facing end of the other segment adapted toreceive said tongue in substantially flush relation to the outerperiphery of said bracket member, said second connecting meanscomprising mating flanges projecting radially outwardly in parallelrelation from the opposite ends of said segments, screw means extendingbetween said flanges for drawing the segments together about thetelescope sight when said first connection means has been engaged, afirst mounting leg integral with and depending from one of said segmentsand longitudinally thereof, an inturned lip on the lower margin of saidfirst mounting leg receivable in the adjacent one of said grooves, alongitudinal channel in said one of said segments on the opposite sidethereof from said first mounting leg, a second mounting leg extendinglongitudinally of and separably connected to said one of said segments,said second mounting leg having inturned lips along its upper and lowermargins receivable respectively in said channel and in said other one ofsaid grooves, and releasable means compressibly engaging said mountinglegs to urge said mounting legs toward each other to thereby clamp saidbracket member to said firearm and whereby when said releasable means isreleased said bracket member may be removed by lateral movement relativeto said upper portion of said firearm, said lip along the lower marginof one of said mounting legs having a series of upwardly projectingbuttress-type teeth formed therein and directed when in clampingposition to oppose inertial movement of said sight in response to recoilof said firearm.

7. In a telescope sight mount according to claim 6, wherein saidbuttress-type teeth are for-med in said lip along the lower margin ofsaid second mounting leg.

8. In a telescope sight mount for detachable mounting on a firearmhaving a pair of spaced-apart longitudinally extending grooves disposedon an upper portion thereof, wherein said mount comprises a generallytubular sight encircling bracket member having first and seconddepending clamping legs provided with inturned lips on the lower marginsthereof for engaging said grooves in clamping said mount to saidfirearm, the improvements wherein said bracket member comprises twocomplementary arcuate segments separably connected on their uppermostadjacent ends by a first connecting means comprising complementaryhingedly interlocking tongue-and-slot means disposed in substantiallyflush relation to the outer periphery of said bracket member, and secondreleasable con nection means carried by the lowermost adjacent ends ofsaid segments for drawing the segments together about the telescopesight when said first connecting means has been engaged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,002,115 8/1911Barnes 42-86 2,115,618 4/1938 Carl 421 2,449,551 9/ 1948 Garand 42-12,803,907 8/ 1957 Weaver 42l FOREIGN PATENTS 322,727 7/1902 France.1,125,315 3/1962 Germany.

1 0,968 7/ 1915 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. R. V. LOTTMANN, AssistantExaminer.

8. IN A TELESCOPE SIGHT MOUNT FOR DETACHABLE MOUNTING ON A FIREARMHAVING A PAIR OF SPACED-APART LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GROOVES DISPOSEDON AN UPPER PORTION THEREOF, WHEREIN SAID MOUNT COMPRISES AS GENERALLYTUBULAR SIGHT ENCIRCLING BRACKET MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECONDDEPENDING CLAMPING LEGS PROVIDED WITH INTURNED LIPS ON THE LOWER MARGINSTHEREOF FOR ENGAGING SAID GROOVES IN CLAMPING SAID MOUNT TO SAIDFIREARM, THE IMPROVEMENTS WHEREIN SAID BRACKET MEMBER COMPRISES TWOCOMPLEMENTARY ARCUATE SEGMENTS SEPARABLY CONNECTED ON THEIR UPPERMOSTADJACENT ENDS BY A FIRST CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING COMPLEMENTARYHINGEDLY INTERLOCKING TONGUE-AND-SLOT MEANS DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLYFLUSH RELATION TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID BRACKET MEMBER, AND SECONDRELEASABLE CONNECTION MEANS CARRIED BY THE LOWERMOST ADJACENT ENDS OFSAID SEGMENTS FOR DRAWING THE SEGMENTS TOGETHER ABOUT THE TELESCOPESIGHT WHEN SAID FIRST CONNECTING MEANS HAS BEEN ENGAGED.